Conventional systems and methods use centralized databases or storage mechanisms to store user information and that can be used to identify users. This centralized database scheme typically allows updates and transactions to occur only in a synchronous fashion, where transactions stored in the database are serialized to occur one at a time. Such transactions are typically controlled and accessed by a single entity, for example, a company or private institution that controls the centralized database or storage mechanism.
The single entity control paradigm can create issues where the user information can be useful for other purposes because the user information is typically precluded from use in other applications even where the user is willing and able to give permission to use such information. Moreover, the single entity that controls and accesses the user may be reluctant to share the user information with other parties for a variety of privacy or business concerns.